This invention relates to a stabilized table that resists rocking on uneven floors, a stabilizer for mounting on tables so that they resist rocking on uneven floors, and a method of stabilizing tables on uneven floors.
A continuing problem with tables is the fact that they rock or wobble on uneven floors. The legs or supports of tables are often provided with adjustable feet to level the table and stop the table from wobbling. This typically requires that feet be individually adjusted. It is a time consuming and tedious task to individually adjust the feet to level and stabilize the table, and the process must be repeated each time the table is moved.
The present invention provides a stabilized table that automatically adjusts to accommodate the unevenness of the floor, to reduce or eliminate wobbling. The present invention also provides a stabilizer device that can be mounted on a table to allow the table to automatically stabilize the table and reduce or eliminate wobbling. Finally, the present invention provides a method for stabilizing tables on uneven floors.
The table of the present invention generally comprises a table surface and a plurality of supports. Each of the supports has a foot portion for contacting the floor. According to the improvement of this invention, two interconnected fluid cylinders are incorporated into two adjacent supports. The feet are mounted on the cylinders' pistons to allow the feet to extend or retract relative to their respective supports. Because the cylinders are interconnected, the pistons, and thus the feet mounted thereon, move equally and oppositely of each other. The movement of the feet automatically adjusts the supports to stabilize the table from wobbling. While the table is not necessarily level, it resists wobbling.
The stabilizer device of the present invention is adapted for installation on a table having a plurality of supports to stabilize the table on an uneven floor. Generally, the stabilizer device comprising two fluid cylinders, interconnected by a conduit, adapted to be installed on adjacent supports. The cylinders' pistons can move inwardly and outwardly with respect to the supports on which they are mounted. Because the cylinders are interconnected, the pistons move equally and oppositely of each other, to automatically stabilize the table from wobbling. While the device does not necessarily level the table, it causes the table to resist wobbling.
The method of stabilizing a table of the present invention applies to tables of the type having a plurality of supports each having a foot contacting the floor. Generally, the method comprises the steps of installing interconnected fluid cylinders on adjacent supports, with the pistons of the cylinders mounting the feet. Because the cylinders are interconnected, the pistons and thus the feet mounted thereon, move equally and oppositely of each other. The movement of the feet automatically adjusts the supports to stabilize the table from wobbling. While the table is not necessarily level, it resists wobbling.
The table of the present invention quickly and automatically accommodates unevenness in the floor, to reduce or eliminate wobbling. Similarly the stabilizer device of the present invention is adapted to be retrofit to existing tables, and quickly and automatically accommodates unevenness in the floor, to reduce or eliminate wobbling. Finally, the method of stabilizing tables of the present invention applies to new or existing tables, and allows the table to quickly and automatically accommodate unevenness in the floor. Although the tables stabilized according to the present invention are not necessarily level, the table resists wobbling because the pistons of the cylinders on the adjacent supports accommodate unevenness in the floor, extending and retracting equally and oppositely to stabilize the table. This invention is of simple and reliable construction, and is inexpensive to implement.
These and others features and advantages will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.